Firefly: The Ghost's Redemption
by Raven091
Summary: When an Rogue Alliance Black ops unit led by Sam Marshall rescues River from the academy, he makes a promise to protect her from anyone who would hurt her. Now River, Sam and Simon now seek evade the Alliance and its allies. in order to that, they join up with the crew of Serenity after Sam helps Captain Mal with a recent job. But the crew is wary of Sam due to his past.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Treason**

Main Elevator, Underground Research Base

May 2517

"Saber to all teams, report." called Sam. Sam Marshall was the commander of the 132nd Special Operations Unit, also known as the Ghosts. The 132nd was one of the few Black Ops units that Alliance permitted to operate without oversight. Originally, the 132nd was conducting Counter-Insurgency ops on remnants of the Independence movement or "Browncoats" from the Unification War.

"Alpha set." "Bravo ready" responded the Ghost teams. While conducting these ops, the 132nd noticed a pattern forming. This pattern consisted of the rebels holding evidence of atrocities committed by the Alliance during the war. "Charlie ready." "Delta set."

However, 2 months ago while conducting a raid on a rebel safe house, the Ghosts discovered something horrifying. The rebels were collecting info on an Alliance Black Ops program that focused on creating psychic supersoldiers. Before this discovery, the 132nd was already becoming disillusioned about serving the Alliance. They believed that a government that was willing to commit these heinous acts for no reason wasn't worth dying for.

The intel recovered on that day proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back for Sam and his troops. It was focused on the programs one and only test subject, a young woman named River Tam. It detailed the experiments done to her in an attempt to make the the ultimate killer. It sickened Sam as he read the files. Brain surgeries that attempted to rid her of emotions, drug cocktails that were injected to make her more susceptible to brainwashing and other procedures too horrible to describe.

Furious, Sam went over to the squad overseeing the prisoners from the raid. "Sergeant, were you able to find out who was in charge of this group?"he asked. "Yes sir." responded Sgt. Gomez. Turning towards the prisoners, Gomez shouts " MR. WINTERS, FRONT AND CENTER!"

Glancing over at the group of 15 men and women sitting on the floor under armed guard, Sam watched as the man identified as Adrian Winters stood up and walked over followed by 2 Ghost troopers.

Winters was an average looking man, about 5'7'', slim with some muscle, crew cut hair and a slight limp in his leg from a wound sustained in the Unification War. Since the war ended, Winters had always been with the Resistance movement. He moved from cell to cell, training its members how to stay out of the Alliance's grasp. A few year have passed since he joined the Lazarus Cell. This cell was tasked with gathering intel on atrocities committed by the Alliance during and after the war. Whenever a cell comes across this kind of info, it gets passed on to Lazarus, who will record it into their records and make off-site copies in case the original is lost or destroyed.

Winters was promoted to head of the Lazarus Cell when its original leader was killed in a shuttle crash. Some believed it to be the work of Alliance Special Forces, others thought it was a genuine accident. Whatever the cause, Lazarus needed a new leader. A vote was held by the group. When the results were announced, Adrian Winters was picked by unanimous vote to lead the cell. When asked why him, the members responded that he had the necessary skills and mindset needed to lead. Being the former Captain of Bravo company, 1st Battalion, 57th Overlanders Regiment didn't hurt either.

"You asked for me Commander?" stated Winters with a little venom in his tone. The 2 troopers escorting tensed up on hearing his tone but relaxed when Sam motioned to them to let it slide.

"Easy Mr. Winters, I just have a few questions. How you answer them will affect what we do with you and your cell." said Sam. "what do you mean?" asked Winters. "Depending on your answers, it could mean freedom for you and your colleagues or lifelong imprisonment in an Alliance Black-Site."

Sam focused back on the present when Echo and Fox teams reported in. Opening an encrypted radio channel, Sam began to brief his troops.

"Saber to all teams, listen up. You all know what we're for, the extraction of River Tam. All of you have read the files on the atrocities committed by the Alliance, especially the one that has us gathered here to day, to commit an act of treason." The Ghosts troopers didn't even flinch at the word when it was spoken. Sam knew this as he continued. "When I brought up my idea to stage a rescue for Ms. Tam, I did not anticipate all of you choosing to stay with me. Even when I gave you the option to leave with enough funds to start a new life, you stayed. For that, I thank you."

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Sam continued his briefing. "Now, as you all know, this op has all our forces committed. This includes the Mikasa, our Jaeger-Class assault ship and its shuttles. There are 2 groups, Groups 1 is our group consisting of teams Alpha thru Fox. Group 2 is our airfield suppression unit. They're split into teams as well, but with the designations Alpha 2, Bravo 2 and so on."

For the next 20 minutes, Sam explained what each team was tasked to do. Group 1 was tasked with the research base. Alpha team lead by Sam was tasked with rescuing River Tam with her brother Simon, who was posing as an Alliance Official on inspection. Alpha's 10 man team was acting as his close protection detail. Bravo team was tasked with destroying the armory and eliminating any personnel I the barracks. 20 men were assigned to the team. Charlie team consisting of 10 troops was to secure the control room and prevent the underground base from contacting the outside for help. Delta's 20 troopers were the extraction point. The primary extract was the main entrance, the alternate was a maintenance shaft. However, If the alternate was used, priority was to extract River and Simon at all costs. The rebels assisting the unit was nearby ready to extract them when needed. Echo was the perimeter team and rear guard. The 25 man unit would be posted in areas near other teams in case reinforcements were needed and to engage any hostiles who manage to breach the base. Fox's 15 man team was tasked with destroying the base's main power generator to disable the security systems and allow the rest of the unit to evac when the VIP was secured.

Group 2's objective was to suppress the airfield near the base to prevent reinforcements from being deployed. The 100 man unit would split into 7 teams. Demo teams would target the fuel tanks for the aircraft and the aircraft themselves along with the anti-air defense systems. The rest would take control of the control tower, admin buildings, barracks and armory. Once the demo teams were done, they would regroup and form a perimeter to repel hostiles until the extraction of the Tams was complete. They would then evac by shuttles to the Mikasa along with Group 1.

When Sam was done with the briefing, he asked if there were any questions. " Sir? What are the ROE for this op?" asked a female trooper. "Rules of engagement is that all armed personnel in the base are to be considered hostile. Any other questions?"Sam said. The Ghosts responded with a "NO SIR". With the briefing done, Sam only had one thing left to say "Saber to forces; Operation Silent Hope is a go."

Simon was a confident man. When working as a trauma surgeon on Osiris, he had confidence in his ability and training to save lives. However his confidence seemed to elude him at the moment. He was currently riding in a elevator surrounded by a squad of elite operators led by a man, around his age, who seemed to let nothing faze him. When the resistance contacted him about River, he was ecstatic. For 2 years, he was searching for her, spending every coin he had to rescue her. Now he had a chance to fulfill a promise he made long ago.

The Resistance told Simon the details of his sister's location and what was happening, they stated upfront that it would be dangerous and costly. He had to be committed to this, otherwise there was no point his life and theirs. He didn't hesitate to say he was all in.. he would do what was necessary even if it cost him his life.

For the next few months, he spoke with the rebels, making plans and sending funds when needed. He was checking his finances when the rebel leader, Carter, contacted him with some strange news.

According to Carter, an Alliance Black Ops group has caught wind of their operation. However, instead of disrupting it or attacking Simon and the rebels. The leader requested that Simon allow them to conduct the raid. Simon asked him why he should, the leader known as Sam responded that they were the Tam's best hope for getting out of that base alive. After some thought, Simon agreed. Everyone came together and decided on a plan.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Insertion**

Main Elevator, Underground Research Base

May 2517

Sam shifted his armored vest into a more comfortable position. Eyeing the HUD on his tactical goggles, he noticed that Simon's bio-sign were showing signs of nervousness. He made his way to him while squeezing past some Alpha team troopers. As soon as he was next to him, he tapped the doctor's shoulder.

Startled out of his thoughts, Simon looked at Sam with a wary look. "Yes Commander, is something wrong?" he asked. "No Mr. Tam. Just noticed you were a bit nervous. So I thought I'd come over and check on you." said Sam

"Please Commander, call me Simon. Mr. Tam reminds me of my useless father." Said Simon with a grim look. " Okay Simon. So tell me whats bugging you?" "To be honest, may I call you Sam?" Sam nodded that he could. "I'm just curious about how you managed to get your men in place. Somehow, I don't think they would let a bunch of troops to just show up unannounced. It would seem suspicious."

A few troopers shook a bit as they chuckled quietly. Nodding his head, Sam responded "that would be true, but we didn't all pop up at once. Ever since we came up with our plan to get River out, my troops have been slowly moving in these past few months. The official story is that they're troops sent to switch with the units on site so they can relax on some R&R."

" You mean like a changing of the guard?" "Yes" "How were you able to do this? Asked Simon.

Sam smiled as he explained "One thing you seem to forget Simon is that we're not your average Alliance SOF unit. We're a Black Ops unit. We're tasked with missions deemed to sensitive for regular units. This also means we operate no oversight or restrictions."

"Oversight?"asked Simon.

It means we have no one looking over our shoulders second guessing us. As far as the government and military knows, we don't exist."

" I see. I'm glad you're on our side." "Likewise, we probably wouldn't be able to get River out without her hurting or killing some of us."

"True." said Simon.

"Sirs, we're getting close to the insertion point." said one of the Ghosts. "Understood Corporal. Thank you." Looking over at Simon, Sam asked " Ready Councilman Presley?" "Of course, lets get this over with Commander." responded Simon with the arrogance of an Alliance official.

Level B6, Main Lobby

Dr. Mathias was nervous. Lots of things were happening lately. The changing of the guard force, new experiments on subject Athena and now the surprise inspection by an Alliance council member. Not even a month has passed since the last visit. So the Doctor spent the last few days getting ready, setting up presentations, instructing his staff on what and what not to say and having his records in order.

Now, he was standing in the lobby of the main elevator. He watched as the floor indicators slowly counted down until it reached B6, the floor he was on. There was a dull thud and a few seconds later, the door started to rise up and show the elevator's interior. Standing in the center was Councilman Presley, surrounding him in a protective formation was his 10 man protection team. All 10 soldiers wore matching uniforms, black combat suits with padded elbow and knee pads. Each trooper was wearing an armored vest with bullet-resistant plates, magazine pouches along with grenades. They also had M12 Novas in drop-leg holsters. Each one had the SCAR M3 modular rifle in the low ready. When the doors opened completely, a 4 man fire-team moved into the room to check that the area was clear. After a few moments, they signaled that it was secure. Signal given, Presley and the rest of his bodyguards walked out and went to Mathias.

" Welcome Councilman Presley, I'm Dr. Mathias. I'm the director of this facility. Its an honor to have you with us." said Mathis as he walked up to Presley, but before he could offer his hand for a handshake he was stopped by one of the soldiers. Startled by the sudden stop, he glanced at the soldier in question. He was unable to see the man's face due to the balaclava he wore along with thick tinted goggles over his eyes along with a tactical helmet on his head. He noticed the rest of the troops had similar headgear.

" Excuse me, Doctor but we have to pat you down before letting you approach the councilman."said the soldier.

" What for?" asked Mathias " Who are you anyway to treat me like this?"

To answer your first question, its protocol. The second, my name is Logan, Commander Logan. I'm in charge of the Councilman's security force" said Sam with an unseen glare.

"Oh" replied Mathias meekly " very well then. Get it over with." the doctor spread his arms and legs as instructed while one of the soldiers patted him down, checking for weapons. Once he was done, he returned to the group. Fixing his tie, Mathias approached and extended his hand to Presley. " Again sir, welcome."

'Thank you Doctor. I'm eager to be hear about your progress with the Athena program." responded Presley AKA Simon Tam with an arrogant smirk as they shook hands. "Ah, well if you and your entourage will follow me, I'll lead you to the test subject" Mathias motioned towards the double doors guarded by 2 base security officers in Alliance Army combat suits with armored vests. As the group passed through, Mathias failed to notice the subtle nods between the officers and the squad of soldiers. It wouldn't be the first or the last.

Underground Base

Level B6, Main corridor, Science Division Wing.

The next 20 minutes were spent walking trough the base corridors towards Subject Athena's testing chamber. While Mathias was walking with Councilman Presley explaining the details of the experiments and methods used in the brainwashing, Commander Marshall took the time to check in with the Ghosts on site. Group 1 and 2 were in position at their assigned targets. The attack would begin as soon as River was located and taken into protective custody.

"So tell me Doctor, do you think the subject is ready for field trials?" asked Presley.

"not at this moment, Councilman. We are still configuring her brainwashing in order to keep her under control. The last thing we need is for her to turn on us at the wrong moment." replied Mathias.

"I see." responded Presley as they neared their destination. "Well, here we are." said Dr. Mathias as they neared the lab. "I've had some of my assistants bring the subject to this lab. At the moment, she's being restrained and drugged to keep her docile." "what methods and drugs are used to keep her docile." "Well, we use a variation of..." Mathias voice trailed off as Sam shifted his attention to the HUD in his goggles. Shifting the one-point sling for his SCAR to the side, he raised his wrist-pad and typed a message to his troop, [ **BE ADVISED, VIP HAS BEEN LOCATED. ALLUNITS STAND BY FOR MY SIGNAL. MIKASA, PREPARE FOR DEPLOYMENT.].** He hit send and within a few seconds his troops responded with an affirmative. His own team, Alpha-1, nodded their heads to signify the message was received. With that done, he turned his attention back to Mathias and Simon.

"Well looks like she's ready. However, I'm going to have ask that your entourage wait here. We don't want to spook her" said Mathias.

"Only if you allow Commander Logan and 2 of his troops to accompany us. Otherwise, we would be breaking Alliance protocol." responded Presley. "That would be fine, Councilman" said Dr Mathias with a nod. That said, all five of them entered the room. The rest of Alpha-1 assumed defensive positions in the corridor. Here they would wait until their Commander returned.

The room was somewhat larger than expected. Lab equipment and computer terminal lined the walls. What drew everyone's attention was the upright gurney in the center. Strapped in it with vials being injected into her was Athena, also known as River Tam, Simon's 18 year old sister.

" Here you go Councilman, I present to you Subject Athena." spoke Mathias with Glee. "she's what we hope will be a first in a long series of psychic supersoldiers. One who is willing to follow orders without question. She has gone through extensive combat training. We've pit her against Elite SAS soldiers and she's constantly wiped the floor with them." Logan and his 2 soldiers smirked at Mathias's boast. While the Alliance SAS were good, they weren't as good as the Ghosts. If the Ghosts were pitted against the SAS. Chances are the Ghosts would win the showdown every time. Its the reason why no one knows about them and any whispers about them are always considered just rumors.

River screamed as the needles pressed into her skull injecting her with drugs meant to change her brain chemistry. Images flashed through her mind. The interviews with the doctors where she slowly began to lose her mind. The thoughts that swam through her form other people. Their desires, ambitions and rage. Rage. She focused on that that thought, trying to figure out where it came from. Whimpering, she begun to take note of her surroundings. She was in the labs where the nightmare began. She was strapped to the gurney. In front of her stood six people, she recognized Dr. Mathias and his assistant. The ones that pushed her trough intense experiments, forcing her to fight, forcing her to kill.

However, the rage in the air wasn't from them. It was coming from the other four people. She looked at them. The one in the front was dressed in the clothing of an Alliance Councilman. He was a man in his mid twenties, looking quite handsome even though he had an arrogant look on his face. The look however didn't appear to show his true thoughts. She could feel rage coming from him, but at the same time he giving off feelings of sadness, remorse and compassion. River couldn't help but feel that this man was familiar to her.

She looked at the last three. She felt the same aura coming from them. Their aura was more controlled and a bit cold. She couldn't tell what they looked like due to their outfits and masks. She saw the councilman look at one of the soldiers and nodded lightly.

The soldier tapped on his wrist mounted computer and looked at the 2 other soldiers and nodded sharply. At that signal, the 2 soldiers turned towards the doctor and his assistant. They both carried small injection guns. The two scientists never saw what hit them before the lights went out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter: 3 Execute, Execute, Execute.**

 **Airbase Mike-22 Exterior Perimeter**

It was another routine day for Sergeant Chang. Its been 8 months since he was assigned to Mike-22. He was recommended by his previous squad leader to this new unit based on his experience. He was known to be a hard worker and a tough soldier. No matter what weather or location, he did his job without complaint.

He was on patrol with his partner, a new trooper named Briggs. Briggs had only been here a few months. He was part of the group brought in to switch with the guard force. At least that's what Chang heard. It was odd that Command was changing the troops but it wasn't unusual. Then again, he wasn't one to question his higher ups.

"So Briggs, any idea why Command is sending so many troops here lately?" asked Chang.

"Beats me, Sergeant. One day I was at my previous garrison when most of the unit got orders to report here. Wasn't given a reason why, but the authorization was high. Like Parliament high." responded Briggs in a hushed voice.

"Really? Damn, that is weird. Hold on, we've got to check in." said Chang as he reached for his comm piece. "CP, CP, this Patrol 2-1, come in over."

"Patrol 2-1, this is CP, go ahead." responded the Command Post at the Admin. Building.

"Patrol 2-1 here, we have arrived at the AA positions near the north section of the base near the fuel tanks. Commencing sweep over."

"Understood Patrol 2-1. Report back after the sweep. CP out."

Chang looked towards the fuel tanks near the AA batteries.

"Well, let's get to work. We'll check the SAM missiles and the fire control unit for them. After that we'll do a sweep through the fuel tanks. Any questions, Briggs."

"Anything specific we should be looking for?" asked Briggs.

"Just the usual. Look for signs of sabotage like cut wires, smashed monitors or components, demolition charges on the tanks and IEDs in the area. Basically, the stuff they taught us in basic, understood?"

"Understood Sergeant Chang. Lead the way." responded Briggs.

With their rifles at the low ready, Briggs and Chang started their patrol. For the next 20 minutes, they checked out spots where someone might place an IED or sabotage critical equipment. While walking back to their starting point, Chang noticed something attached to one of the fuel tanks. As he started walking towards the tank, he noticed Briggs look at his arm-mounted tac-pad and tap a few buttons before he looked back at Chang. Thinking nothing of it, Chang went back to examining the unknown device. The devise was in the shape of a square, the size of 2 fists. It was wrapped in a grayish cloth designed to imitate the color of the fuel tanks. In the center was small box with a blinking light and wires attached to the top heading towards 2 pins on top of the device itself. Chang froze for a few seconds when he realized what he was looking at.

Suddenly, his mind went into overdrive as he quickly tapped his earpiece to contact the Command Post.

"CP, CP! COME IN, PRIORITY MESSAGE!" he shouted.

Immediately, the Command Post responded " Go ahead Patrol 2-1. Whats happening?"

"CP, BE ADVISED WE HAVE A SIT..." shouted Chang right before he felt a hand cover his mouth , pull his head back and a sudden sharp pain in his throat. With a shocked look, he slipped to his knees, hands trying to stem the flow of blood gushing out of his throat before finally falling on his back. The last thing he sees before fading away was Briggs wiping the blood off his and his uniform changing from Alliance Army green digital to midnight black.

Briggs was putting his combat knife away when a priority message went out over his secure earpiece.

"Ghost-eye to all units, Saber has given the signal. Op is a go, I say again Op is a go. You have execute authority. Ghost-eye out."

Ghost-eye. If Briggs remembered correctly, Ghost-eye was the tactical officer for ground operations. It was his job to make sure everything goes according to plan. If it doesn't, then he was to adapt as needed.

Activating his earpiece, he called out. "Alpha 2-3 to Alpha 2-Actual, come in over."

A few seconds later, a response was received. " Alpha 2-Actual to Alpha 2-3, go ahead."

"Be advised, target has been eliminated and charges are secure and ready for detonation. Orders?"

"Understood, proceed to the rally point and link up with the rest of the squad. You'll receive further orders there. How copy?"

" Alpha 2-3 copies all, out." With the transmission finished, Briggs adjusted his SCAR M3 and moved to the rally point.

The sky was just starting to brighten at Airbase Mike-22. It was business as usual at the base. The control tower was at work monitoring the airspace and directing shuttles and other ships. The staff at the administration building were busy with the paperwork required for the base to run. The barracks and armory was buzzing with activity as the troops were assembling and drawing equipment for their duty day.

At the hangar, maintenance personnel were busy checking out and fixing the shuttles stationed at the base. On the flight-line, six shuttles were sitting there silently. All six were fully armed and fueled. They served as a rapid reaction reaction flight in case of an alert.

As the base personnel were working, the Ghost airfield assault force was moving into their positions. At first glance, they looked like your average Alliance Army soldier. However, if one was to examine them more closely, they would notice details that set them apart from the rest. An example would be the fact that each Ghost trooper has a heavy combat load compared to the normal base security force. Another would be that their faces were concealed with tinted goggles and balaclavas along with combat helmets. A final detail would be their body language. The base personnel were relaxed, a product of their complacency with their daily routine. The Ghosts were tense. Their bodies reminiscent of a coiled cobra ready to strike at its enemies. Toady was going to be a bad day for the Alliance.

 **Airbase Mike-22 Barracks and Armory**

A group of Alliance soldiers were in the armory going over an inventory list.

"Hey Carter, can you check the back of the arms room for a case of mags? The list says there should be 50 magazines inside." asked one of the soldiers.

"Sure Blake. Give me a few seconds" replied Carter. He made his way over to back of the room towards a set of cases checking over the markings, it took him a minute to find box in question.

"Got it." said Carter as he set it on a table and opened it. Inside was 50 mags for the SCAR M1 rifles, stacked in 5 lines of 10 mags each. "Blake, I can confirm 50 mags in the case."

"Okay thanks. Checked that of the list. Go ahead and put it back." replied Blake.

As Carter went to return the case, he heard a beeping noise near the cases. Curious, he set the box down and began to search for the source. The soldiers in the room saw him and began to ask questions. After a quick explanation, the rest of the troops began to search for the noise as well.

They tracked it towards a stack of boxes in the back of the armory where the High-Explosives were stored. After moving a boxes, they found the case with beeping. Glancing nervously at the others, Carter carefully opened the case. Inside were 12 bundles of C12 demolition charges with LED timers. Each one counting down. Each soldier in the room had enough time to say 'shit' as the countdown reached zero.

 **Outside Airbase Mike-22**

The explosion rocked the Admin building down to its foundation. The staff officers inside were rattled and scrambling to figure out what happened when the doors leading inside were blown open. The dust was barely starting to settle when Charlie 2 breached the room with SCAR M3s blazing. The officers being unarmed and unarmored never stood a chance as 4mm sabot rounds ripped through their bodies.

As Charlie 2 was clearing the Admin building, Bravo 2 was taking control of the airfield tower while Delta 2 cleared the barracks and confirmed the destruction of the armory.

After demolishing the alert shuttles sitting on the flight-line, Echo 2 proceeded to clear the hangers nearby. Golf 2 moved to assist after neutralizing the anti-air defenses.

Alpha 2 and Fox 2 coordinated on perimeter security. Both teams were focused on making sure nothing entered or escaped the base along with eliminating any remaining Alliance troops. No prisoners were to be taken.

While all this was happening the Ghost's Jaeger-Class Assault ship, Mikasa was breaching the atmosphere. Its heading was an over-watch position over the base. Once there, it would launch its shuttle to provide CAS or close air support and to shuttle techs to the control tower in order take control of any AA defenses still operational and turn them against the Alliance.

Things in the underground base however were beginning to heat up.

 **Underground Base**

When the order to execute was given, the Ghost teams were already in position to strike their targets. Fox 1 had the generators rigged to blow. This would throw the security system into disarray, allowing Charlie 1 to breach the control center and eliminate the staff. Bravo 1 was already in the barracks and armory posing as Alliance security officers. When the lights went out, they activated the night vision in their goggles and proceeded to eliminate the officers who were blinded by the lack of light.

Delta 1 and Echo 1 were engaged by security patrols in the corridors. Delta managed to secure the main elevator and ventilation shaft that would serve as evac points. Echo focused on the outlying corridors to prevent Alliance forces from overrunning their positions.

Meanwhile at the control center, Charlie 1 was setting up for a breach and clear. Inside the control center, things weren't looking good for the staff.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" shouted the officer in charge. 'Why did the power go out?"

"We don't know sir." replied a technician. "we heard reports of an explosion near the generators, but the security unit that called it in isn't responding to our hails. We also have reports of unknown hostiles engaging our security forces."

"Unknown hostiles? Asked the officer "well, what about the base above? Any chance we can get reinforcements from them?

" **N** egative sir." said another tech who monitored the communications console. "When the power went out, it cut off our outside communications. We can still talk to our forces down here though."

"All right, let our troops know to eliminate the enemy at all costs." responded the officer. "They can't get their hands on the research we have here. If they do, the consequences could be severe. Understood?

"SIR,YES,SIR!" shouted the control staff. "Sir, I have a suggestion." said the Comm. Tech.

What is it, Specialist? Asked the officer.

"We recently installed a panic alarm wired to the outside. Its connected to a rapid reaction force nearby." replied the tech.

"I thought you said outside communications were cut off?" asked the officer

"Yes, sir. I did, but this was set up with its own separate power source and a set frequency. However, there is a catch." answered the tech.

"Which is?" said the officer with a worried look.

With a nervous look on her face, the tech replied. "The RRF is not Alliance Military. Its a PMC or Private Military Company. Sir, the company is Vampire Security Solutions."

The control room went quiet when the name was spoken. VSS was the Blue Suns Corporation's Private Military Force. It had a reputation for being ruthless and brutal.

"Sir, should I send the signal? Its ready to transmit, I just need your confirmation." said the tech.

"Hold on." said the officer. "let me give it some thought."

"Sir by then..." started to say the tech. But she was unable to finish her sentence as the doors to the control room were blown inwards.

Immediately after the explosion, 3 cylindrical objects were rolled towards the center of the room. The officer was barely beginning to shout a warning when the objects detonated with a blinding light and deafening sound.

As soon as the flash-bangs went off, a five man fire-team breached the room. The first to fall was the officer since he was right in front of the assault team along with any technicians near him. As this happened the Comm. tech was frantically typing on her console when she felt multiple sharp stabs of pain lance through her back. Coughing out blood, she looked down and saw that her entire chest was covered in blood. With a slight shudder, she slid to her knees and looked at the screen. Seeing the final line of code she had entered, she grinned a bloody smile before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

The rest of Charlie entered when the all-clear was given. While Charlie 1-1, Charlie team's squad leader, was reporting in to Saber, the ghosts cleared the control center. They secured the fallen weapons and cleared the bodies, which were moved to a corner of the room.

Two Ghosts were moving the body of the comm. tech when one of them noticed the flashing screen of the tech's console. Curious, the Ghost motioned to his partner to wait and checked the computer. He typed a few commands that brought up a window showing what was worked on last on the computer.

Both Ghosts at the console were reading the words on the screen when they froze at the last sentence. Shocked, one of them shouted for Charlie's leader.

Charlie 1-Actual was just finishing with his sit-rep when two of troops yelled for him to come over. Slightly irritated, he ran over to see what the fuss was about.

"What's the matter, Troopers?" asked Charlie 1-Actual.

"Sir, we have reason to believe that a distress signal has been sent out." replied one of the Ghosts.

"How?" responded the squad leader. " I thought the demo took out their communications."

"They did, Sir.' said the other Ghost. " this signal was sent on a completely different network. One we weren't aware of."

The communications console let off a loud beep startling the troopers. Charlie 1-Actual looked at the monitor. After reading the screen, he turned to his radioman and shouted "Call the topside units! Let them know that trouble might be coming. Notify the commander as well!"


End file.
